Heart

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."  Luke 2: 19

I love this scripture. I always feel peace when I read and think about it. Mary has been through some very intense and awesome experiences - emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I picture her as faithful, trusting, obedient, and hopeful. Earlier she had said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Luke 1: 38

Keeping things and pondering them in our hearts. I imagine each of us has things we ponder in our hearts - things that are just between us and our God.  

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Gratitude for the Ride

Gordon Hinckley had a no nonsense and practical approach to life. When he got into his later years, he remarked that the "Golden years are full of lead," as he commented on the slowing of his body. He often used Jenkin Lloyd Jones' quote about life's journey. 

 "Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

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Thankful For

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Book - The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

"... an epic love story and family drama set at the dawn of World War II."--

"Viann[e] and Isabelle have always been close despite their differences. Younger, bolder sister Isabelle lives in Paris while Viann[e]  lives a quiet and content life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. When World War II strikes and Antoine is sent off to fight, Viann[e] and Isabelle's father sends Isabelle to help her older sister cope. As the war progresses, it's not only the sisters' relationship that is tested, but also their strength and their individual senses of right and wrong. With life as they know it changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Viann[e] and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions. Vivid and exquiste[sic] in its illumination of a time and place that was filled with great monstrosities, but also great humanity and strength, Kristin Hannah's novel will provoke thought and discussion that will have readers talking long after they turn the last page"     image & summary - worldcat.org

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My sister recommended this book. What a story! It was fantastic! I can’t remember the last time I read a book and lingered on the very last sentences the way I did here. 

“Because of them, I know now what matters, and it is not what I have lost. It is my memories. Wounds heal. Love lasts. We remain.” 

I've thought a lot about Vianne and Isabelle and the choices they made. What would I do under similar circumstances? Too often we don't know enough about the women and children who are left at home while the men go to war - in previous wars and those going on now. 

The story behind the story - click here
The author lives in the Seattle area
reviews here
author's website

Preparing For Winter Storms

“Come, Ye Thankful People.” I’ve always thought of this hymn as “just” a song for Thanksgiving time. Recently it hit me differently. 

Come, ye thankful people, come;


Raise the song of harvest home.


All is safely gathered in


Ere the winter storms begin.


God, our Maker, doth provide


For our wants to be supplied.


Come to God's own temple, come;


Raise the song of harvest home.

(Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871
Music: George J. Elvey, 1816-1893)

The phrase that did it - "All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.” I thought of the storms we’re facing. We need to make sure that all is safely gathered in, that we’re as prepared as we can be.

As I pondered having all safely gathered in, a phrase from “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” came into my heart -  “With his sheep securely fold you.” A sheepfold is a place of safety and protection. If we keep ourselves among God’s sheep, we will be protected. 

Preparation and protection – we can weather any storm if our preparation and protection are centered in God and his gospel.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

No Ordinary People

With all the busyness, noise, challenges, and confusion in the world, it is easy to lose sight of who we are. Too often we ignore the BIG picture - and the awesome heritage and potential each one of us has. 

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ ... (Romans 8: 16-17)

We are all immortal beings with immense possibilities. Our "ever present challenge is to apply immortal principles to life's constantly changing ... and passing mortal situation." Neal A. Maxwell

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. .  .  . It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." C. S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory,” italics in original.

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." Pierre Teilhard deChardin; Phenomenon of Man (1955)

We are each pretty awesome!

Book - The Lake House

A new Kate Morton book is always cause for excitement and rejoicing. My sister alerted me to publication of "The Lake House." When I called Kirkland's independent bookstore (practically across the street from our new place), they told me they wouldn't be receiving their first (and only) copy until the next day. They said I could have it. More copies were arriving later in the week. I put aside the unpacking, cleaning, and organizing so I could read the book before sending it to Jan for her birthday!

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"Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure. One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined. Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate -- now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone, yet more present than ever. 

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Houses as main characters, lives changed by war, family secrets, little children and how they're affected by choices made by the adults in their lives  - these seem to be themes in most of Morton's books. 

image & summary from worldcat.org

                                                                                                             

Example

Mom and Dad stressed the importance of books, reading, and learning. 

They walked the talk and modeled what they valued. 

photo - Mary & Julia - February 1950 

Interfaith Dialogue

Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE) grew out of the 2010 and 2011 interfaith 9/11 commemoration programs in Kirkland, Washington. After the 2011 event, the organizers continued to meet monthly to talk about additional ways to promote interfaith understanding and cooperation on the Eastside." (image & summary from https://firewa.wordpress.com)

The group sponsors a number of activities, including potluck dinner dialogues twice a year. We've attended most of them since we moved to Kirkland. The discussion is always fascinating and the people we meet are very interesting. 

The events are held at different churches including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (our meetinghouse in Kirkland), a synagogue, and the Unitarian church in Kirkland. 

The theme for November's event was “When Faith and Public Life Collide.” About 100 people were there, the largest group so far. 

The food is always interesting. We eat and get acquainted with the people at our tables. Then there is a panel discussion during which representatives from different faiths have five minutes to give the faith's perspective on the theme for the evening. People in the audience then ask questions of the panelists. The discussion is then continued at the tables. The three hour event ends with comments anyone wants to make about what's been learned or felt during the evening. 

The faiths represented on the panel change from event to event. Panelists this time included - Coptic Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Quaker, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Muslim, and Interfaith. This is the first time Judaism hasn't been on the panel. 

The labels assigned to the panelists sometimes confuse people who aren't familiar with various Christian religions. For example, the Muslims at our table asked the difference between the panelists labeled Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Coptic Orthodox, Mormon, Quaker, and Interfaith. 

Perhaps a third of the people were Muslims (revealed by a show of hands requested by the Muslim on the panel). Most of them were from Pacifica Institute, an organization initiated by Muslims from Turkey. We were at a table with two Muslims (husband/wife) and three Unitarians.

Someone put together an excellent slide show about the theme – great examples of faith and public life – sometimes working, sometimes not.

The conversations are very lively and, for the most part, steer clear of emotional political discussions. People sometimes do bring up grievances against certain groups - sometimes back centuries ago. Philosophers are mentioned along with historical figures, some "recent," some very ancient. The American Constitution and freedom of religion usually figure into the discussions. 

We always come away enlightened and very thankful to live in this country. 

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FYI - "Eastside" refers to the suburbs 

on the east side of Lake Washington. 

Westside is synonymous with Seattle. 

Giving Girls Days & Opportunities

introductory video

"Every girl in the world deserves education, safety, and dignity. We help girls gain access to quality sustainable feminine hygiene and awareness, by direct distribution of sustainable feminine hygiene kits, by partnering with nonprofits, groups and organizations, by raising awareness, and by helping  communities around the world start their own programs. Thanks to a global grassroot network of thousands of volunteers and supporters on 6 continents, we have reached women and girls in 85+ countries on 6 continents." (daysforgirls.org)

If you know of individuals or groups looking for great service project, this is a fantastic one. We've participated in a number of community and church-sponsored events for Days for Girls, including one just this week. 

In this video Celeste Mergens, founder of Days for Girls, tells about the "ah-ha" moment that led to this movement. Celeste came to the kickoff event a year or so ago when some of our local congregations became involved. She is inspirational. She is making a difference. 

another wonderful overview

Thank You For Serving

Joe - Navy

Dad  - World War II

my grandfathers - Caryl Holton & Harry Floyd - World War I

Wisdom & Order

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent ..." Mosiah 4: 27

I've repeated this scripture many times over the last few months as we're going through the process of  moving and settling in. 

When purchasing a home and moving there's definitely an "order" that needs to be followed. That takes planning and attention to details, lots of details. 

Wisdom is helpful during times like this. We counted on the wisdom of family and friends who know the Kirkland area and real estate market. 

Knowing how to pace ourselves can be tricky because some things come with a timeline that's beyond our control. Figuring out the right speed to go along with our strength can be challenging. 

Diligence - keep at it

Angel Slides

Angel Slides

I can't recall who said it, but I love the concept. 

I've always liked to see shafts of light. 

Now I have extra reason to smile when I see them. 

Timing

My parents used a timer just like this one - same color, same style - during my childhood. 

Either Mom or Dad decided 7 minutes was long enough for a shower. We were supposed to set the timer so we didn't use too much water and/or monopolize the bathroom. 

My memory is that the timer was also used for phone calls - especially those in which we took the phone (attached by a cord in those days) and sat at the top of the basement stairs in an effort to get a little bit of privacy. It wasn't until later that we had phones in the darkroom and the den. This was long before the cordless phone. I can't remember how long we could talk on the phone. I'm sure it wasn't as long as we wanted and definitely wasn't as long as our friends could talk on the phone :)

On North Street I bought this timer and I periodically introduced it if someone(s) tended to lose track of time in the shower.



December 2, 2015 corrected typo

Feet That Bring Good Tidings

In August our son and grandson came over for lunch. As we were saying our goodbyes, I glanced down and realized that all those feet had served (or were about to serve) a full time mission for the Lord Jesus Christ. I was reminded of the scripture from Isaiah.

 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" Isaiah 52: 7

Messenger's feet can deliver the glorious message even after physical challenges sometimes slow the messenger. Joe, with his Parkinson's shuffle, and Don, with his walker after having a pacemaker implanted, are ready to share the message of Christ with Janis. 

May each of us have feet that bring good tidings, 

peace, and the message of God to others. 

A House Of ...

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, ..." Doctrine and Covenants 109: 8-9

As we establish our new home, we focus on having a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, order, and a house of God. It's always a work in progress.